An Orchestrated Attack
by casimchr000
Summary: It is done. The Chitauri have lost. Loki is defeated. But why is he so calm? What secrets is Stark's mysterious young doctor keeping? How does she know Thor? And what happens when everything Fury and the Avengers believed turns out to be a lie? Set during the movie and after with slight changes and an additional character.
1. The Realm Council

** I really wanted to write a story where Loki is actually a good guy, and has been the whole time. Yaay! **

**A/N: You're going to be confused for a while, I've decided to write this story backwards. But give the story a chance! This one has lots of twists and plot conflicts! I just couldn't get the idea out of my head of writing a good-guy Loki fanfic, and this is what happened. This story follows movie verse, mostly, but then not at all. I have added a character, so that'll change things up. Also, Loki and Thor being sent up to Asgard never happens. HAH!**

**EDITED 7/24/2013**

**Disclaimer: ****I don't own any of the Avengers. Hadley belongs to me, but I give all credit for the rest of them to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, they rock!**

Loki groaned, lifting a weak arm onto the step in front of him, moving slowly. The green giant sure packed a wallop! He groaned again, pulling his body into a sitting position, pausing when he heard a small noise behind him. He turned slowly, taking in the sight of the assembled avengers, the archer's arrow pointed directly at his head. He grinned inwardly. The plan had worked. The Avengers had won. He grimaced as he took in the looks on their faces, pausing at Starks stern profile.

"If it's all the same to you, I'll have that drink now."

** PageBreak PageBreak PageBreak PageBreak PageBreak PageBreak PageBreak PageBreak PageBreak**

"Where are the Avengers now?" Hadley couldn't tell who was speaking, the camera angle only showed her Fury's face, the computer screens that would have revealed his speaking companions not in view. But Hadley knew who they were. The Midgardian council, the ones who had sent out the nuke that had the ability to ruin her plans. She listened intently to Fury's answer, eyes intense on the screen in front of her, arms crossed, foot tapping impatiently.

"I'm not currently tracking their whereabouts." Fury snarked back. "I'd say they've earned a leave of absence."

"And the tesseract?" The female councilmember asked.

"The tesseract is where it belongs. Out of our reach."

"That's not your call." Another councilman snapped.

"I didn't make it." Fury explained honestly. "I just didn't argue with the God that did."

"So you let him take it, and the war criminal Loki," Hadley winced at the term "War Criminal", "that should be answering for his crimes?"

"Oh, I think he will be." Fury guessed, with a smirk.

Hadley sent the screen a smirk of her own. That's what you think, silly Fury, she thought slyly.

"I don't think you understand what you've started, letting the Avengers loose on this world. They're dangerous." Hadley bristled. The Avengers, dangerous to the world they just SAVED? How did that make sense?

"They surely are." Fury agreed. "And the whole world knows it. Every world knows it."

"Was that the point of all this?" The lead councilman asked. "A statement?"

Fury was silent. Then he shook his head. "A promise."

Hadley quickly turned off the screen that had been playing the security footage she'd hacked into as Fury walked into the small conference room she occupied.

Fury sent her a look, knowing what she'd been doing.

"Shouldn't you be in the Medic Bay?" Fury asked her lightly.

"Where are the Avengers?" Hadley avoided his question and asked one of her own, having not seen the Avengers since they'd dropped off Loki at the temporary containment center about an hour ago.

Fury shrugged. "They said something about shawarma. They'll be back soon, I'm guessing. Why?"

"I heard you talking to your council." Hadley confessed.

Fury inclined his head. "I kind of figured you'd listen in."

"There's something I need to tell you." Hadley began urgently, but Agent Maria Hill ran in, eyes wide.

"Sir! There's been another energy influx."

Fury dismissed Hadley immediately, turning to face Agent Hill. "When?"

"Just now sir. It carries the same signatures that occurred when Thor fell to Earth, as well as three days ago, when Loki,"

"Where?" Fury interrupted voice cold.

"Here, sir." As Hill spoke, the Helicarrier shook, as if something very large had just dropped onto the top of it.

"They're here." Hadley whispered, shocked they didn't give her more time.

Fury rounded on her. "Who? Who's here?"

Hadley, instead of answering, ran out of the room, Fury and Hill following closely on her heels.

She rushed past the medic bay, through the torn up lab that Stark and Banner had previously occupied, and to the door that led to the plane runway. She ran out, stopping just outside the door. Fury and Hill ran out behind her, stopping in shock at the sight before them.

In front of them stood three tall individuals, their garb reminiscent of the clothing that both Thor and Loki sported, though slightly different. The leather, odd straps and armor gave Fury the assumption that these new "guests" were not of Earth. Their stiff posture and regal bearings made Fury infer that they must be important. They carried no weapons, so Fury holstered his gun, waiting to see what Hadley would do.

The petite, barely legal young woman strode forward with all the confidence of…well himself, Fury thought, as she stopped to stand in front of the trio.

"My Lords, and Lady, I welcome you to the realm of Midgard." Hadley's voice raised to be heard over the wind, and had changed from its normal tone, to one more refined, and distinctly Asgardian, Fury would guess. What was going on?

"I assume you have witnessed what has just occurred?" At a firm nod from one of the newcomers, she continued. "Then I call for a dismissal of your sentence against Midgard. I would prefer to continue this inside, though?" Hadley gestured to inside the carrier, starting slightly at Fury and Hill blocking the door.

"Who are they?" One of the men asked, glaring at Fury and Hill.

"My Lords and Lady, may I present Nicholas Fury, leader of Shield and founder of the group of defenders known as the Avengers, and his associate, Maria Hill. They mean you no harm, and will not be present during our discussion." Hadley sent Fury and Hill a pleading glance, one that asked them to hold their questions and do as she asked.

Fury took a moment to consider. He had known of Hadley for a while, known that she was different. How, was never fully confirmed; though a billionaire like Stark wouldn't hire a teenage doctor unless she was something special. Hadley had proven her mettle the last couple of days, but that didn't mean he would trust her. And yet, the three unknown guests hadn't attacked, and waited to enter until they were invited inside. Fury looked at Hill for a second opinion, who gave him a slow nod and a steady gaze. He then looked back at Hadley, and stepped away from the door, Hill following suit.

Hadley bowed slightly at the waist and allowed the three guests to enter the Helicarrier, before standing upright again. Before she could follow them, Fury grabbed her arm.

"Keeping secrets?"

She sent him a glare. "Isn't everybody? I promise you," She whispered, her voice normal, "I will tell you everything once they leave. But right now, Midgard is still in danger, and I need to go make sure it isn't and won't ever be again. But in order to do that, I need to talk to these people in a private room, NOW."

Fury hesitated, but the determination and steel in her voice made him realize she was serious. So he did the one thing he swore never to do, with ANYONE. He trusted her.

**PageBreak PageBreak PageBreak PageBreak PageBreak PageBreak PageBreak PageBreak PageBreak**

That didn't mean he wasn't going to watch. He and Hill sequestered themselves in his office after having sent Hadley and her three new friends into the small conference room she'd been in previously, studiously watching the security camera footage of the room on Fury's large monitor.

The three strangers sat on one side of the rectangular table, their faces easily visible, while Hadley stood on the other side, her back to the camera. Fury suspected she'd done this on purpose.

The female sat in the middle, her long gray hair pulled into a sophisticated bun, her pale blue eyes serious, sharp and assessing. The man to her right was the youngest of the three, his dark curly hair merely streaked with gray, while the other man sported a full head of gray slicked backed strands that stopped at the nape of his neck. Both men had the same pale blue eyes as the woman, though the younger man's eyes held a small spark of humor, while the older man's eyes were the coldest in the room.

"My Lords and Lady, two years ago you reached a decision to decimate one realm, in order to make the total count an even, more manageable eight. In the course of your deliberations, the three of you made the decision to destroy Midgard, under the assumption that Midgard was weak and unable to protect itself. Am I correct in my summation so far?" Hadley asked; her voice back to the more refined dialect of Asgard.

"You are." The woman confirmed with a regal nod.

Hill gasped. Fury sat back in his chair as the implications of what Hadley had just said hit him. This group of oddly dressed older individuals decided to destroy a realm, simply because nine had seemed like too many? Fury did not doubt that they had the power to do so, after what he'd just been through, after everything he'd seen, nothing seemed impossible anymore. But now there was another threat against his planet, a bigger threat, one he knew nothing about. He realized that Hadley knew they were listening, and were summarizing for their benefit, so he leaned forward as she began speaking again.

"When you came to me and told me of your decision, I, as liaison between Midgard and the Realm Council that is yourself, was given the opportunity to plead a trial period, in order to disprove your assumption of weakness. You granted me a 2 year probation period, upon which if Midgard was unable to prove its strength, you would continue on with the destruction of my realm. Is this not also correct?"

"It is." The woman answered; her voice tight.

"That two year probation period ends not a fortnight from now, and I believe that Midgard has proven its strength, not only to the Realm council, but to all other Realms. No one would dare attack Midgard, now nor anytime soon, with such a strong force as the Avengers protecting it."

"We no longer doubt Midgard's strength." The woman began. "But we doubt the longevity of it. Mortals live no longer than 80 or 90 Midgardian years, what happens when this, team of Avengers cease to live? Will Midgard not be left defenseless again?"

"While the Avengers are Midgard's prime example of strength, they are not our only strength. Nicholas Fury, whom you met earlier, is the director of an organization called SHIELD that has been protecting and defending the earth before the Avengers Initiative was ever introduced, and will be here long after they are gone. Though these Midgardian Mortals may seem weak and petty in the eyes of the other realms, they will not hesitate to protect their home."

"You, who have been on this planet for seven years, doubted their loyalty to their planet before?" The older man asked curtly.

"Never, My lord. I always knew that Midgard was able to defend itself. There was just no opportunity to prove it to anyone else until now. I have always believed these Midgardians of great strength." At the younger man's snort, she tilted her head. "A different kind of strength than is seen on Asgard, or Jotenheim, or elsewhere, but a strength nonetheless. This Realm is deserving of Life, My Lord, and after the fight that they just went through, I would be shocked if you did not believe so as well. "

"We are inclined to agree with you." The woman stated.

Fury silently celebrated. Had this crisis just been averted?

"But," She continued. "We question the rather, opportune time of this attack."

"Are you saying that I made this attack happen with the sole purpose of proving to you that Midgard deserved to continue on?"

When none of the council spoke, she answered.

"You would be right. I convinced Loki Laufeyson, adopted son of Odin, to reach out to Thanos and his Chitauri army. I Persuaded Loki; God of Mischief; to coax Thanos to lend him the Chitauri in order to attack Midgard. I did that."

"You confess to orchestrating an attack on the Realm you took an oath to protect?"

"I do." The council sat shocked, and Hadley spoke again before they could. "But I orchestrated an attack in order to disprove your assumptions. Consider the attack merely an "example."

"An example that cost people their lives!" The younger man shouted.

"I made sure there were no lives lost. I would not be so remiss in my duties. Yes, there were many injuries, but none that cannot be reversed. I watched and observed, very carefully, interfering only to prevent deaths, nothing more.

"Though I may have orchestrated the attack, I did no such manipulation in the end result. The victory was real, and true."

"And what if Midgard did not have the strength to prevent such an attack? What if Midgard had fallen?" The woman asked, not angry like the other two, simply curious.

"Midgard would have fallen anyway, just at the hands of the Realm council, instead of at the Chitauri's. It was a calculated risk, I agree, but one that had I not taken, would've had Midgard destroyed without a doubt. At least with the attack, they had a chance."

The woman nodded. "I do not agree with your actions. They were desperate, sneaky, and barely on the side of the law." The two men beside her nodded, and the three of them stood. Hadley stiffened, her back straight as an arrow.

Fury tensed. Was his planet, despite having just survived an alien invasion, about to be destroyed anyway?

"But while I cannot approve of how you went about this, I one hundred percent approve your intentions. Your loyalty to a realm that is not yours, and your determination to do your job to the best of your abilities is to be commended. We grant Midgard a reprieve from execution, for Midgard has proven it's strength, not only to the realm council, but to all surrounding realms, a statement of power and strength that all will heed.

"Not a statement my lady. A promise."

The woman inclined her head, a small smile passing over her face before the three council members disappeared a small cloud of smoke the only proof that something magical had just occurred.

Hadley plopped down in a chair as if her legs could no longer hold her, relaxing. In Fury's office, Hill and Fury did the same. The Earth had just faced two nearly impossible threats, one slightly expected, the other a complete surprise, but had bested them both. Earth was safe.

**Confused? I am soo sorry if you are! I tried my hardest to make it semi-simple to figure out what's going on, but I had difficulties! A plot surprise is going to pop up in chapter two, and some might not be very happy, but I needed reasons for some things that happened, and a jumping board for other things to happen. Reviews are greatly appreciated, I love hearing your thoughts and ideas, but please be gentle, I am very new at this. Favorites and Follows are always appreciated!**


	2. The Truth Comes Out

**A/N: So, I am writing this backwards, like i'd mentioned before, but I'm enjoying this. I apologize if you're confused, explanations are coming up! Also, major plot surprise coming up, in this chapter. You're going to be surprised. FYI: For those who know Norse mythology, and know that Loki has kids, in this universe, he doesn't. Also in this universe, the timing is different. the movies Thor, Iron man 2, and Incredible Hulk all happen relatively close together. In order for my plot to work I had to change that. But, Chapter two, here you go!**

**EDITED 7/24/2013 **

**Disclaimer: The only character that belongs to me is Hadley. All other characters I give credit to the amazing Marvel Cinematic Universe! They rock.**

"Hey Fury, we're back!" Stark walked in, or limped in more like, followed by the rest of the Avengers, all of them worn, tired, and dirty. They all situated themselves in the seats surrounding Fury's desk. "So, what are we going to do with Reindeer games and the glow cube of death?"

"Is it not obvious, man of Stark? I will take both back to Asgard. Loki will be punished by Asgardian Law, and the Tesseract will be safe out of reach." Thor spoke with authority, as if it had already been decided.

Hill and Fury looked at each other, unsure of how to begin.

"Wait, why can't we punish Loki here?" Barton complained, plopping his hurting body into a chair.

"Before we speak of punishments, there's something you guys should see." Fury said slowly.

Hill rewound the security tape back to when Hadley and the "Realm Council," as she'd called them, entered the conference room.

The Avengers, who had been exhausted upon entering Fury's office, snapped to attention as Hadley's voice wafted out from the computer screen, Thor the most shocked, which, since he'd never met Hadley before, was odd. "My Lords and Lady, two years ago..." When what she was saying really hit them, they leaned forward, various emotions running across their faces, none of them able to voice them yet, too transfixed on the scene in front of them. When it was over, they were still unable to say anything. Thor spoke first.

"Her voice, sounds so familiar…I feel like I know her."

"You haven't met her yet, she's my doctor. She has these super fun healing abilities." Stark sent Thor a weird look. "Which, I don't know why you haven't met her yet, she's been running around the Helicarrier the past three days."

"She's pretty young." Rogers added slowly, still sore, glaring at Stark. They'd been fighting aliens 2 hours ago! How did he bounce back so fast?

"She probably just reminds you of someone you used to know." Banner added.

"You are right, Man of Green. She cannot be the person of whom I am thinking. Hadley died ten years ago.

"Wait a sec. Hadley?" That's HER name." Stark pointed to the TV screen that had paused moments after the Realm Council had disappeared.

"Alright lets settle this. We got two Hadley's. Stark describe your Hadley." Barton demanded, trying not to move too much in the chair he was sitting in, grimacing every time he failed.

"My Hadley has tannish skin, dark curly hair, dark brown eyes. She's short, too, about this tall." Stark measured, about his armpit height, and Thor's eyes widened.

"My Hadley looks much as you have described, Man of Iron."

As Stark described her, Hadley herself had entered the office, finished with seeing the Realm Council off. Thor's back was to the door, so he didn't see her approach. When Thor spoke, Hadley's eyes widened, and she slowly began to back from the room. Once she made it past the door frame she spun quickly, turning to hurry away. Thor must have heard her though, because he turned as well.

"Niece?" He called, his deep voice cracking slightly. She paused mid-escape at the sound of his voice.

He took a deep breath, ignoring the rest of the team that mouthed the word "Niece" in confusion. Steve was the first to get it, and his face went perfectly blank. The others caught on more slowly.

"Niece," Thor spoke softly. "If tis not you, I apologize most profusely, but, if" He paused to take a breath, eyes wide with hope, "if tis you, please. Turn around."

Everyone was silent, staring at Hadley's back to see what would happen. She didn't move for a few moments, and then she turned around, a sheepish grin on her face.

"Uncle! It has been a while, has it not?" She spoke in her Asgardian voice, her eyes warily watching Thor, to see what he would do next. Everyone else did as well.

"Niece! It is you!" He grinned widely and stepped forward as if to hug her, but she held up her hand. "Wait! We will have all the time in the world to talk later, I PROMISE, but first,"

Stark who'd yet to connect the "uncle/niece" dots, grinned and interrupted, "Somebody's got some 'splainin to do!"

"I suppose I do." Hadley walked in slowly, her dark brown eyes intent, scanning the room apologetically. "I am sorry I could not tell you before. There are no excuses I can give. I can only be completely honest, right now, and hope that you will see it and take it as it is, the truth."

"We'll see. Start talking." Fury gave her a nod, and she began.

**Yes. Loki has a daughter. And he thinks she's dead. It helps explain his angst. He doesn't know she lives yet, but he will. Again, I know you might be confused, but more explanations are on the way! Reviews would be really helpful to me, but not the "I don't get it" ones. If you could elaborate, I could potentially fix it. I really enjoy this story, but I understand if not many others will. It's a very different take on the attack. Of course, reviews and follows and favorites are all appreciated, and I love you all for your support!**


	3. From the Beginning

**A/N: This chapter explains Hadley's birth, and adoption, which makes me excited. I like having nice Loki. Yes, he will be OOC the entire story. I like him better nicer. The Italics is a flashback, just so you know.**

**EDITED 7/24/2013**

**Disclaimer:********I don't own any of the Avengers. Hadley is mine. But I give all credit for the rest of them to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, they rock!**

"I believe it most prudent to begin from the VERY beginning, starting at my birth." Hadley stood in front of the war ravaged Avengers, along with Agent Hill and Director Fury in Fury's office. She wrung her hands, her eyes serious.

"Can you please speak English?" Stark wrinkled his nose. "I don't like this voice you're doing."

"Technically, the Asgardian dialect is my native tongue, but if you wish," Hadley switched to what Stark considered normal, "I can talk normally."

"Much better." Stark accepted, smirking at her when she stuck her tongue out at him.

"Right. Well. The beginning. I am not; if you've yet to guess, mortal. I was born on Asgard, Thor's home realm. My parents were strong warriors, who died in battle not two months after I was born." Hadley sighed. "I suppose, in a way, it was a good thing. I would never have been able to make my parents proud. I would only have been a disappointment."

"I am sure your parents would've loved you, no matter what." Steve tried to placate, but Hadley shook her head.

"My parents were strong, powerful, people, and were a deadly threat to their enemies, but in a physical sense. My destiny was, and is, to be the opposite, and it would have disappointed them greatly as I'd grown."

"What do you mean "Destiny"?" Romanoff asked, demanding all the answers.

"I am not a normal Asgardian. Some Asgardians are born with limited magical capabilities, but most have none. I, am literally made UP of magic. My magical capabilities know no bounds, and my abilities are limitless. I have the ability to destroy planets, entire realms if I so choose, with the snap of my fingers. Such a person only comes about once every thousand centuries, and there can only ever be one in existence at a time. They call such a person a Chime, don't ask me why, I don't know why either. But that is what I am; a Chime."

"So what happened after your parents died?" Fury asked, not wanting to think about the fact that the small young woman in front of him had the ability to take out his planet without pulling a muscle, and he'd deemed her "not a threat."

"I was adopted, by the most reasonable choice. He was not married, but he, above anyone else around, would be able to teach me how to control my magic, and would understand the future difficulties I would have trying to fit into a realm of jocks, being a geek myself."

"Loki." Fury stated, not asking, but dreading the confirmation he knew was coming. This was going to complicate things.

"Yup."

"Wait, Loki is your DAD?" Stark blurted out, shocked. "Is that why Thor called you niece?"

"Little slow, aren't we?" Hadley grinned.

Stark shook his head. "It must have sucked to have THAT as a dad."

Hadley bristled. "He was not like this; before. He was different. He was loving, and kind, and, yes, mischevious, but he'll always be that! He was the best father I could've asked for!"

"He was so very different back then, and even though I doubted his role as father, from the second he saw you, he loved you. Thor added, his expression distant, as he were remembering something from long ago…

**PageBreak PageBreak PageBreak PageBreak PageBreak PageBreak PageBreak PageBreak PageBreak**

_"What is of so much importance that you interrupt me from my training Father?" Thor entered the throne room to find his father, mother and brother huddled in front of Odin's chair, his mother's eyes tellingly red. "Father? What has happened?"_

_ "The hunting party we sent out was attacked by rogue elves. Three of our men have fallen."_

_ "Who?" Thor asked, already knowing the answer, but praying to hear something else._

_ "Karwin. Also,…Loretta and Jaykin."_

_ "Both of them?" Thor took a step back in shock. He had not expected BOTH. "Why would Loretta go out so soon?" _

_ "I do not know, son." Odin shook his head sadly._

_ "What of their child?" Thor thought of the small infant, the girl child he hadn't seen since her introduction to Society over a month ago._

_ "We have sent someone to fetch her," Odin raised his head as the door to the throne room opened, "here she is." A servant walked into the room, the small bundle of pink lying quietly in her arms. _

_ "May I?" Thor asked, and the attendant moved forward, placing the impossibly small child into his arms. Thor looked down at the small face, sleeping softly. His heart lurched painfully. He shifted his weight, startling her awake. Her impossibly dark brown eyes, so much like Jaykins, blinked confusingly, then screwed shut as she began to cry._

_ "I can't" Thor said panicking, jerking the infant up and down nervously in an attempt to soothe her. _

_ "Here," Loki stepped forward, arms open, and Thor gratefully placed the small bundle into his brothers arms. _

_ Loki looked down at the little girl, and as she caught his eye, she slowly stopped crying. Loki grinned. If he hadn't felt the magic in her at her Society introduction, he knew he felt it now. He hadn't imagined it. This child carried great power. But what was surprising was the rush of affection he felt for the small child. It happened so quickly, he marveled. Was this the way it was for biological parents, at the first sight of their child? _

_ "What will we do with her?" Thor asked his father quietly._

_ "Well, we will need to find a new home for her, of course,"_

_ "I'll take her." _

_ Loki whispered it, so as not to startle the infant slowly falling back asleep in his arms._

_ "But" Thor tried to object, but his brother shot him a glare that silenced him immediately. _

_ "Loki," Odin asked slowly. "Are you sure?" _

_ "Positive." His voice was gentle as he looked down at the child he'd just claimed, and held a softness that nobody in the room had ever heard from him before. If they had any objections before, they had none now. _

_ "She has yet to be named," Thor spoke up. "As her father, this job now falls to you. Do you have any ideas?" _

_ Loki gently rocked the child, his DAUGHTER, and thought for a moment. But looking down at her, he knew._

_ "Hadley. Hadley Adara."_

_ Thor walked forward to stand beside his brother, placing a hand on his shoulder and looking down at the small bundle his baby brother held so protectively. "Welcome to the family, Hadley Adara," he whispered softly._

_ Loki smiled gently, not noticing the looks of contentment on his parents and brothers faces. Despite the difficulties they would face, the ones that would undoubtedly come, they all knew that his was the right decision._

**I know, Loki's family gave in too easily. But I didn't want to go into a huge long discussion. I JUST LOVE LOKI FEELS! Thor is going to be awkward with babies, I decided, because he's so large. Also, I didn't want Hadley to prove her magic in some huge way just yet. You can use your imagination to decide where Hadley sent Stark. Also, the name Hadley has no special meaning. I just like it. Reviews and Follows and favorites are awesome, they help me tremendously! And for all the support I've been receiving, let me just say, I LOVE YOU ALL.**


	4. Odin's Betrayal

**A/N: This chapter is going to be shorter because the next chapter is going to be SUPER long. This is more explanations with some (A teeny bit) of Thor feels. Also, Odin is mean in this story. P.S. I dunno if Laufey was alive in actuality, but in order for this story to work, he was at the time.**

**EDITED 7/24/2013**

**Disclaimer: ********I don't own any of the Avengers. Hadley is mine. But I give all credit for the rest of them to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, they rock!**

"I admit, the Loki you know is different from the father I grew up with." Hadley readily agreed. "But there is more you do not know,"

"Loki changed after he heard of your passing. He would not believe that you were dead. He searched for you, for years, convinced that you still lived. I thought him crazed with grief, but he never truly trusted the Allfather after your "death". When he finally had to stop looking for you, he," Thor paused. "It broke him. His jokes took on more of an edge, became more hurtful, more dangerous. You are right niece. He is different now. Your death changed him."

The room was silent as Hadley looked down, fidgeting slightly.

"I can't imagine what it might be like to lose a child," Steve spoke gently, "That would've made anyone change."

"It's still no excuse for trying to subjugate an entire planet." Romanoff crossed her arms over her chest, refusing to feel pity for the creature that had temporarily stolen her best friend's mind.

"Please, before you judge him, hear me out." Hadley looked up, eyes suspiciously bright, but clear.

"Niece, what I don't understand is, why pretend to be dead?" Thor brought up, looking intently at Hadley.

She let out a bitter laugh, which shocked the team. They had never heard such a broken noise come from her before. "You will not like this answer, uncle." She warned.

Thor's mouth tightened. "I will hear it, regardless."

"I warned you."

Hadley thought for a moment, before resuming her story.

"When I was 17, Odin was approached by the Jotun king."

"What?!" Thor stood up in shock. "I knew not of this."

"Good. You weren't supposed to. It was a private meeting."

"Jotenheim? Where Loki was born?" Steve clarified.

"Yes. Jotenheim is the home of the Frost Giants, and Loki's father, Laufey, was still ruler at this time."

"So Loki's biological Father and Odin had a secret powwow. What about?" Stark asked.

"Laufey wanted back what was his."

"Meaning Loki." Banner surmised.

"You would be correct."

"The AllFather would've never allowed that! He would've done anything to keep Loki on Asgard." Thor, still standing, interrupted.

"You are right Thor, Odin would've done anything. But he also had to protect the secret of Loki's true parentage, the very secret that Laufey threatened to expose were his wishes not met. When Laufey proposed a trade, Odin had no choice but to accept, no matter what THAT decision would cost."

"What did Laufey trade?" Romanoff asked.

"Laufey traded his silence…for me."

"Wait, what?" Clint raised his brow in disbelief. "Trading people? I don't know what it's like up on Asgard, but that's frowned upon here."

"It's Illegal here, actually." Fury corrected.

"It is not done on Asgard as well, I assure you." Thor placated. "This is the first I have ever heard of such a thing."

"In Odin's eyes, I am no more a person than the Tesseract is. I am simply a power source."

"That is not tr.."

" Yes it is, Thor! It is! Why else would he so easily trade me like I mean nothing to him?! Because I don't!" Hadley whirled on him, eyes bright and angry.

Thor sat down with a thud in the face of her anger, defeated. "I believe you, Niece. Father is not who I thought he was. But when I went to Jotunheim, two years ago, there was no sight of you."

"I was long gone by then, Thor. I was here, on Midgard."

"But wait, why would Jotunheim want you?" Tony asked, always confused. "Not that you're not awesome, but, you know what I mean."

"The same reason Odin kept an eye on me. I am an unlimited power source with the ability to manipulate anything, destroy anything, create anything. With the right motivations I can do Realms of good, and with the wrong motivations I can cause Ragnarok.

"Ragnarok?"

"Ragnarok, Tony, is the destruction of everything and everyone. It's like that movie, 2012, except no one gets out alive."

"Ah. Ok, got it. Continue." Tony nodded and leaned back, getting comfortable.

"I am very valuable. That is why Jotenheim wanted me."

"But if you're so valuable, why would Odin not keep you and give up Loki?" Clint questioned.

"Returning Loki would alienate both Loki and myself with the same action; by persuading me that my sacrifice was necessary for Loki's well being, and lying to Loki, He had a better chance of keeing himself in both of our good graces."

"You believed being sacrificed to Jotunheim would somehow help Loki? How did they get you to swallow that garbage?" Tony snorted.

"It was not so hard for me to believe.I was a child. I'd spent seventeen years of my life believing I was unworthy of being Asgardian. I could not fight, I was not strong, or tall, or blonde, or anything else that equated worth on Asgard. I thought a physical sacrifice would gain my acceptance. I was wrong."

"So Odin traded you for Laufey's silence, and told everyone you'd died. But how did you end up on Midgard?" Banner furrowed his brow.

"That's quite a funny story, actually…"

**Cliffhanger! Not a huge one, I know, but I still enjoy the dot dot dot. Ragnarok is from mythology, (read a book, people) and I don't know if what I said was accurate, but I'm keeping it as is for now. We're still in explaining mode, but not for much longer! I just want everything to be clear before we continue with plot. Reviews are looked upon as small fortunes and I love them, Follows and Favorites are great as well!**


	5. Jotenheim and Midgard

**A/N: Okay, so this is NOT the long chapter. Chapter six will be the long chapter, and this one is average. Sorry if I got your hopes up! I am not super excited about the chapter, but it's all I got. I stayed pretty vague, I'll go more in depth later. Here ya go!**

**EDITED 7/24/2013**

**Disclaimer: ************I don't own any of the Avengers. Hadley is mine. But I give all credit for the rest of them to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, they rock!**

"How long were you on Jotenheim?" Hill asked Hadley.

Hadley tilted her head, her dark brown hair cascading over one shoulder. "About two years, I reckon. They didn't keep me very long."

"Why not?"

"They wanted to control me. They wanted to break me, force me to do their bidding. By that time I was too strong though, too in control of my own power. They couldn't figure out how to weaken me, and tired very quickly of the task of trying."

"So I'm confused." Stark broke in.

"Like that's anything new." Hadley quipped. She grinned when Stark leveled a glare her way. She put a finger over her lip, and he continued.

"You said you went to Jotunheim when you were seventeen, and stayed for two years, but you haven't been back in at least two years. That would make you at least twenty, right?"

"Actually, I haven't been to Jotenheim in 8 years." The adults in the room, excluding Thor, leaned back in shock.

"Wait, what?!" That means you would be 27!" Stark did the math.

"That's right." Hadley smirked. "Glad the guy who graduated MIT at seventeen can do basic math."

"But you only look about 20, MAYBE, and only if I squint a little." Stark ignored Hadley's quip.

"Jotunheim was cold." Hadley said dismissively.

"What? Explain more, please." Clint demanded. "Just act like we have no knowledge of anything, and explain every little detail, before I get more lost than I already am."

"Ok, Clint, calm down. All I mean is, Jotunheim is like a freezer, but worse. It's the home of the Frost Giants. They like it cold, they're acclimated in that way, but I am not a Frost Giant, and I lived there for two years. The repercussions of my body being forced to endure such a cold climate for so long is the fact that physically, my body is aging way slower than normal. Physically, I am 20, but in reality, 27 years have passed since I was born. Got it?"

"That's really weird, but sure. I got it." Clint nodded.

"Good."

"Jotunheim…" Thor hesitated.

"What, un- Thor?" Hadley asked patiently, hoping he didn't notice her lack of the term uncle. He did, but ignored it to ask his question.

"Were they good to you there?"

"No."

There was silence. "I am sorry." Thor said sincerely.

"It's over. I handled it. It was only two years."

"Why did they let you go?" Banner changed the subject.

"They got bored. They'd made a mistake with the Realm Council, and needed to atone for it. So they gave me to the Realm Council."

"You got traded AGAIN!?" Clint gaped. "You get traded more than a bad minor league baseball player!"

"Unfortunately. But fortunately, the Realm Council gave me the option of working with them or letting me go home. I chose work, as Odin would not have let me go back home."

Thor looked like he wanted to say something, but for once stayed silent.

"The Realm Council was the group you were talking to earlier?" Romanov clarified.

"Yes."

"Who exactly are they?"

"Each Realm has a council that is in charge of intergalactic communication. The Realm Council is in charge of ALL of those councils. They have a lot of power, and make all the decisions."

"Like just randomly deciding to destroy a realm for no reason." Stark concluded.

"Yes."

"But Earth doesn't have a Council." Fury interrupted.

"You used to, before Shield, but I'm NOT going into that. When a Realm does not have a council, the Realm Council will place a liaison on that Realm. The liaison is from a different Realm, in order to be more objective. When I accepted a job from the Realm Council, they placed me here, on Earth."

"My job is to communicate with Midgardian officials, and relay messages to and from the Realm Council. They trained me for a year, and then sent me to Midgard. I was on probation for 5 years, then became the official liaison once my probation was up."

"What did you have to do while you were on probation?" Fury asked.

"I traveled the entire realm, though I did spend most of my time on earth. Only six other systems in this realm are populated, and of those, only four are able to communicate. I kept a close eye on all of you though. Even when I was first starting out; all of you had the potential to be great."

"Kept an eye out? On ALL of us?" Stark asked curiously.

"Yes. Mostly by accident, but later, by design." Hadley smirked, remembering. "I remember the first time I ran into you, Stark…"

**PageBreak PageBreak PageBreak PageBreak PageBreak PageBreak PageBreak PageBreak PageBreak**

_5 Years Ago:_

_ "Care for a refill?" Stark, wearing a suit and tie, with a drink in his hand, sidled up to the blonde knockout perched precariously on the bar stool._

_"Why not?" The blonde looked down at her empty drink, giving a slight grin at the man next to her._

_ "You look bored. Are you not enjoying yourself?" Stark leaned closer to the blonde woman, a smirk on his lips._

_ "Of course I'm bored. I come to a weapons company's party, I expect the conversation to revolve around weapons, or new weapon technology, or anything to do with why we're all actually here. Instead, all anyone is talking about is the latest "Stark" escapade. What a joke." The blonde downed the drink as it was placed in front of her, grimacing at the alcoholic sting._

_ "You don't enjoy gossip?" Stark asked, surprised, both at her candor and the fact that she wasn't interested in the story about him arriving to a meeting completely naked._

_ "I despise it. It's all half-truth, half-speculation, thereby unreliable and unworthy of my time. Like this party."_

_ "Is that a veiled insult aimed at the host?" Something was wrong. His flirting wasn't working on this woman. His flirting always worked. His mere PRESENCE commanded attention from the opposite sex. _

_ "No, the party is fine, I suppose. I guess I'm just not in the mood. Maybe the bowling alley down the street is still open. Bowling always cheers me up." The blonde stood to leave, Stark standing as well._

_ "Wait, you're leaving?" This had never happened before. _

_ "Yeah. Why stay?" She shrugged her black shawl on, covering her bare shoulders. "Thanks for the drink." She turned around to go, then turned back._

_ "By the way, next time you show up to a meeting naked, maybe make sure that your best friend isn't there to put it all on video. Just a thought."_

_ And then she was gone. Stark was dumbfounded. This had never happened before. This was going to haunt him, for sure._

_**PageBreak PageBreak PageBreak PageBreak PageBreak PageBreak PageBreak PageBreak PageBreak**_

"Wait, I REMEMBER that. But that was a blonde. An OLDER blonde, who was really tall, and,"

Stark paused as Hadley momentarily transformed into a tall Blonde haired beauty, who wore a smirk.

"Okay, never mind. Why were you there?"

Hadley morphed back to her usual self, and shrugged. "Bored. Plus, some of your weapons had begun to go missing at that time, and I wanted to see if you knew anything about it. You didn't."

"NO. I didn't realize until 3 years later, when,"

"Afghanistan." Hadley finished softly.

"Were you?" Stark didn't finish his sentence, but he didn't have to.

"Yeah. I was there."

"You intervened, you helped somehow, didn't you?" Stark remembered the extra supplies, faulty video surveillance, small details that were inconsistent yet so unimportant that he hadn't noticed before, but had ultimately been the reason he'd succeeded in escape.

"I did what I could. It wasn't much, but,"

"Thanks, all the same." Stark sent Hadley a genuine half-grin, as genuine as Stark gets. She returned the gesture.

"Anytime."

"Did you intervene, as Stark put it, with all of us?" Clint asked, wary.

"Not you, or Romanov. I didn't touch Shield at all. I just watched, making sure you'd be prepared for…the Chitauri.

"What about Banner?" Romanov changed the subject.

"How do you think Banner got from British Columbia to Calcutta without hulking out?"

"That was a very nice old man who had a plane and a pilot he let me borrow." Banner cut in, finger pointed at Hadley firmly.

"Yeah, a very British pilot who liked to talk about his chocolate Labrador puppy named Koda." Hadley added, a small smile on her face." She sighed. "He was my favorite disguise."

"Why help me leave if you needed me here for the Avengers?"

"You needed some space to regroup and be calm. Plus, you needed to be asked, properly."

"And the Captain?" Hill asked.

"The team was shaping up well, but wasn't strong on the leadership side, or the bulk and muscles side. So I helped guide the divers to where Steve was. No big deal."

"And you, Uncle," Hadley spoke up before they could ask. "I was in the hospital when you were admitted after being grounded here."

Thor furrowed his brow. "I admit, I do not remember much about that time. The Midgardian hospital injected me with their medicinal concoctions."

"Those shouldn't work on you though." Stark pointed out the obvious.

"You are right, Man of Iron." Thor looked confused until Hadley coughed.

"Good thing I was there…" She stared at Thor expectantly, until his eyes cleared with understanding.

"You calmed me down!"

"Duh."

"Duh?"

"It means of course I did!"

"Well thank you, Niece, for watching out for all of us."

"it was more fun than I thought it would be, to be honest."

**Ok. Get excited. Next chapter is LONG. This chapter is just kind of making fun of the fact that none of them realized Hadley was watching. Reviews would help me GREATLY, as well as follows and favorites.**


	6. Running into the Avengers

**This is definitely a weird chapter. Last chapter she kind of pokes fun at following the Avengers around, this chapter is a sneak peek of HOW she follows the avengers around, her observations, and their conversations, specifically Thor, for obvious reasons. I literally quote the movie Thor at points. It took me over six hours STRAIGHT to write this HUGE chapter. Next chapter we're back to present time. ALSO; I have decided this story will be updated every monday. FINALLY. CONSISTENCY.**

**EDITED 7/24/2013**

**Disclaimer: I**************** don't own any of the Avengers. Hadley is mine. But I give all credit for the rest of them to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, they rock!**

3 years earlier:

The energy influx had been so huge, the magic involved so large, the only explanation was that somebody had transported to Earth from another Realm. But why? Hadley followed the magic, ending up in New Mexico. She found two locations, one empty by the time she got there, the other, she groaned. The weapon she found there was unfortunately familiar.

Somebody HAD transported to Earth.

UNCLE.

Where was he though?

"Name?" The nurse spoke to a young woman, who had an elderly gentlemen and another dark haired woman with her. Hadley wasn't really listening, dressed in her fake nurse outfit and disguised as an older woman, looking through John Doe reports, at least not until the woman said,

"He said it was..THOR."

Hadley slowly turned, to listen better.

"And your relationship to him?"

"I've never met him before."

"Until she hit him with her car, the dark haired woman interrupted.

"I grazed him, but she tasered him!"

"Yes I did." The dark haired woman looked proud.

Hadley worried. If he'd been knocked out by a Taser, that meant he was human. He was so dense he probably hadn't realized he was human yet. She turned to peek over the nurses shoulder, reading room information before discreetly walking away, beginning to run when she was out of their sight.

Thor was groggy waking up, his eyes darting around the room frantically, confused.

"Hi." The doctor above him was cheery. "I'm just taking some blood."

Thor wrenched his arm away in outrage. "How DARE you attack the son of Odin!"

Hadley covered her mouth before she could laugh, but realized it didn't matter as Thor began to throw things around the room, making a ruckus.

"I need some help!" The doctor hollered, no longer cheery. A few security guards ran in to help, and that's when it got crazy. Hadley watched from the window, enjoying the show. Even mortal, the drugs, she knew, weren't going to help. She waited until the moment they injected him, then placed a sleeping spell over him. He calmed, and Hadley sighed. Well, she'd found her Uncle. What was going on in Asgard? Where was her dad?

She strode down the hall, going back to check on Thor's hammer. Thor was safe, for now.

**PageBreak PageBreak PageBreak PageBreak PageBreak PageBreak PageBreak PageBreak PageBreak**

Shield moved fast. The base they'd erected around Mjolnir had gone up in less than a day, and they'd set up their equipment so fast, by the time Thor arrived, getting to his hammer seemed almost impossible. She saw him crouched with the woman who'd nearly run him over, saw him hand her his jacket, and begin to stride toward the base. Then she heard the Thunder. This was not going to go well. She grinned.

Sometimes she forgot that the Uncle who'd let her braid his hair when she was young was really a fierce warrior, but watching him now, even as a mortal, she couldn't deny it. She only grew worried when she heard one of the Shield agents that she'd grown used to call for someone high, with a gun. The agent who always went high, the archer, he'd never been known to miss. She hoped he'd stick with his bow and arrow, rather than a gun. She sighed with relief when she saw the archer standing in a crane, notching an arrow into his bow.

"You want me to slow him down, or are you sending more guys for him to beat up?" The archer asked dryly.

The head agent frowned before answering, "I'll let you know."

Thor's final opponent, a VERY large man by Midgardian standards, almost had him, but Thor had fought bigger. Thor reached his hammer, finally, grinning.

"You better call it Coulson," The archer noted. "I'm starting to root for this guy."

"Wait." The agent, Coulson, answered. "I wanna see this."

"Thor reached for his hammer, expecting it to slide easily into his hand. When it didn't he grew frustrated, pulling harder, and then harder, until his muscles strained from the effort. The hammer didn't budge. Thor looked down at his hands, confused, before looking up and letting out an almost inhumane scream. He fell to his knees, defeated.

Hadley grimaced. Not only had the Allfather taken away his son's immortality, but Thor had also lost his power. What was the plan here?

Hadley could no longer watch. She turned away.

**PageBreak PageBreak PageBreak PageBreak PageBreak PageBreak PageBreak PageBreak PageBreak**

Hadley returned to previous work, keeping an ear out for Thor, who had let himself be taken in. She heard the agent, Coulson, interrogating him, but didn't really tune in. She stopped cold though, when she heard her Uncle say,

"Loki?"

Dad? She immediately transported herself into Thor's cell, hiding herself. HE was there. It was the first time Hadley had seen her father in years. What was he doing here?"

"What are you doing here?" Thor asked.

"I had to see you." Loki, her FATHER, was sober, Asgardian robes enfolding his tall frame.

"What has happened? Tell me, is in Jotunheim? Let me explain to father,"

"Father is dead."

Lie. Hadley would've been notified if the Allfather had truly passed. Why was he lying?

"what?" Thor asked disbelievingly.

"Your banishment, the threat of a new war, it was too much for him to bear." Loki answered, his voice carrying the correct amount of sympathy and pain. It didn't mean that the emotion evident was real.

Banishment? Well, Thor had always been impulsive, banishment made sense. But a new war? With Jotunheim? Is that what Thor meant? If they were truly at War, had Dad been informed of his heritage yet?

"You mustn't blame yourself. I know that you loved him. I tried to tell him so, but he wouldn't listen." Thor began to cry as Loki continued. What was wrong with her father? He had never been like this, before. He must know. But can he have taken it THAT hard?

"It was so cruel putting the hammer within your reach knowing that you could never lift it." Loki continued. This man was not Loki, was NOT her father. This man was a cruel man, twisting the knife deep, and Loki, her FATHER, would never do that to his older brother, to the man he so looked up to.

"The burden of the throne has fallen to me now." Burden? THAT, at least, was the truth. Her father never wanted the throne. Only recognition. The two were very different.

Thor looked up at his younger brother. "Can I come home?"

There was a moment of give in Loki's gaze, but it hardened as he spoke, though his voice was still soft.

"The truce with Jotunheim is conditional upon your exile."

"Yes, but couldn't we find a way?" Thor pleaded.

"Mother…has forbidden your return." Loki said softly. Yet another lie. What was the point of leaving Thor here on earth? Who was this man who stood before Thor and lied? With no real emotion, no feelings toward the sibling he'd been raised with, grown up with?

"This is goodbye, brother. I am so sorry." There was a hint of truth in the apology, but not enough. Never enough.

"No." Thor whispered dejectedly. "I am sorry. Thank you, for coming here."

"Farewell."

Thor gave Loki a nod, and Loki turned, the fake emotion he'd held in his eyes flooding out to be filled with a coldness that Hadley had never seen before in the face of her father. As he disappeared, Coulson walked in, and Thor let out a whispered goodbye.

"Goodbye? I just got here."

Hadley made a decision. This was not over, and until it was she would stay in New Mexico, and watch over her Uncle. She feared what would happen next, though.

If only she could see what was happening in Asgard! But the Realm council would not allow it.

**PageBreak PageBreak PageBreak PageBreak PageBreak PageBreak PageBreak PageBreak PageBreak**

Thor began to get used to life on Midgard, and Hadley had begun to toy with the idea of revealing herself to her Uncle, when the Warriors 3 and Lady Sif arrived.

Hadley was worried. Thor of course, was ecstatic. Less so when he learned that Loki had lied to him. And then the Destroyer appeared.

Loki had sent him. That was the only thought that made sense. To destroy his brother? But Thor had changed. He would not have it. He marched up to the Destroy, stood tall right in its path, and spoke to his brother.

"Brother, whatever I have done to wrong you, whatever I have done to lead you to do this, I am truly sorry. But these people are innocent. Taking their lives will gain you nothing. So take mine instead."

The destroyer stopped. He turned, and for a moment, everyone thought it over. But then the destroyer backhanded Thor, hard, throwing him down the street, effectively ending his mortal life.

Hadley felt an untold power coursing through her, and she whispered, from her perch on a roof, without thought, "Whosoever holds this hammer, if he be worthy, shall possess the power of Thor." As she finished speaking, she felt the power release through her, and then Mjolnir, from its heavily guarded post, shot into the sky, and into Thor's outstretched hand. Lightning struck, obscuring Thor's body for a moment before revealing him once again, decked out in full body army. Thor took out the destroyer with a few choice moves, ever the amazing beast of a warrior that Hadley had grown up around, but rarely got to see in action. She knew he would go to see Loki, and unfortunately, would be unable to see the outcome, not until her probation period ended. She hoped for a peaceful ending, but knowing her father the way she did, knew this would not end well, not for most. She skipped watching Thor leave, knowing he'd probably make out with his new female friend, and she didn't want to see that. Besides she had work to do. But she would worry. Until she could find out what happened in her old realm, she would worry.

**PageBreak PageBreak PageBreak PageBreak PageBreak PageBreak PageBreak PageBreak PageBreak**

2 years earlier:

"Jarvis, let's test out these new thrusters."

"Sir, I highly advise against this. The thrusters are not yet ready for live testing. Might I suggest more floor tests?"

"Your suggestion is noted, and ignored. Fire all thrusters!" Stark, in the process of building new suits, was testing his newest toy, thrusters with twice the power as his previous ones. Pepper wasn't home, so he could get away with it.

But Hadley was watching. Ever since he'd defeated his ex-friend Obie and had been placed on Shields radar, she'd been watching him. It was better than dwelling on the things she could not change. Or rather, the PEOPLE she could not change. She should be thinking of a plan, but maybe Shield's idea of a super team held some merit. So she watched the individuals they considered for their Avengers Initiative. Stark was her favorite though. He was so stupid, all the time. She'd never intervened though, his injuries had never been that bad. But these thrusters were not ready for flying. She had a feeling that's where he'd take his "testing" to. She was right.

The thrusters handled well in Starks Lab, but when Stark flew out the window and into the sky, the thrusters hesitated. When he tried to push them harder, they failed, and he began to free fall.

"Jarvis! Failsafe!" Stark called to his AI.

"I'm sorry sir, you haven't yet installed a failsafe in this suit."

"Did I install the failsafe for the failsafe?"

"I'm sorry sir, no."

"Where am I gonna end up?"

"Central Park sir. No one is there."

"Right. If I don't survive the landing, don't tell Pepper what I was doing. Tell her something was faulty, oof!"

Stark hit the ground HARD. His suit semi-protected him, But Hadley knew he would still have some serious injuries. She transported to Central Park, a few feet from where he lay, and ran to him.

"Oh my goodness! Are you ok?" Hadley used a shrill high pitched voice, and ripped off Starks Iron Man mask, revealing a passed out Stark.

"Well, that works."

Hadley magicked the suit off him, placing it a few feet away, and began assessing his injuries.

Broken leg, for sure, sprained elbow, concussion, cracked ribs, a few broken. Hadley pressed down on his head, and the blood flowing from his numerous cuts began to slow, stopping as the cuts began to heal themselves. The knot on his forehead shrunk until it wasn't there any longer, and his leg bones snapped twice loudly, signifying that they'd mended themselves. She began to focus on his ribs, her hand still on his forehead. She didn't realize he'd woken up until he grabbed her wrist.

"What are you doing?!"

"Ah!" She stopped healing him mid-rib, and he groaned at the sudden pain.

"You scared me!" She scolded.

"What do you mean I scared you? I wake up and you're touching me and I can't feel anything, then I get your attention and all of a sudden I'm in pain! I think I'm the one allowed to be a little freaked out." Stark answered dryly, voice tight from the pain.

Hadley looked down. Stark seemed coherent. Dare she continue? He wasn't known for keeping secrets. The whole "I am Iron Man fiasco" ran through her mind. She decided to take a chance.

"I saw you fall. I can help you. Will you let me?"

"How can you help me?" Stark asked suspiciously.

"That's the only condition. No questions. Actually, there's another one. You can't tell anyone what I'm about to do."

Stark, being reckless, agreed immediately. "Cool. Fix me, then. And be quick about it!"

"Okay then." Hadley placed her hand back on Stark's forehead and continued mending the three ribs she had left.

Stark only felt a small amount of heat, and the she was done. "Okay. You're good to go."

"So I have to ask one question." Stark broke in as she stood to leave.

"You may ask. I may or may not answer."

"Healing. That some kind of magic thing?"

"Yes." Hadley answered after a moment.

"Is that all you can do?"

"That's two questions."

"You don't have to answer."

"If I told you, would you believe me?"

"True enough. OK, I have another question."

"Very well." Hadley rolled her eyes.

"You want a job? In a healing capacity, but only for me, and we wouldn't tell anyone. Well, except for Pepper. She's cool though. And Happy." Stark added as an afterthought.

"Are you kidding me? You're offering me a job? You don't even know me!" Hadley gaped at him.

"I know that you risked your secret to help out a person you don't even know. I think that's all I really NEED to know, don't you think?"

"I don't know…" It would make it easier to keep an eye on the guy, and the Avengers Initiative as well, Hadley thought. It would be amusing, too.

"Come on, I pay really well. Although, this would be a live in position. I kind of get hurt a lot, and would need you on call." Stark cajoled, used to getting his way and slightly surprised he had to beg at all.

"you're very impulsive, you know that?" Hadley grinned at him.

"I do." Stark grinned back. "Come on, be impulsive with me. Say yes."

"I must be crazy, but…sure. Yes." Hadley laughed.

"Good. Do you have a phone?"

Who doesn't?" Hadley made a phone appear in her pocket before pulling it out with a grin.

"Let me see this." He called someone on her phone, still sitting on the ground, his shirt covered in blood, his jeans ripped.

"Hey Happy. I'm in Central Park. Come get me." He hung up without waiting for an answer.

"Help me grab my suit. Happy will meet us at the central park entrance." Hadley did, taking a little less than half, pretending it was heavy, even though she could've easily carried the whole thing. The car was waiting at the entrance for them, a man in a dark suit standing next to it.

"Sir?" The man asked as a question.

"Open the door Happy, this is heavy." Stark snapped, heaving his half into the car, before taking the other pieces for Hadley and throwing it in as well. "Happy, this is?" Stark looked at Hadley, waiting for her to say her name. That was when she realized she hadn't disguised herself. That would cause issues, later, she was sure, but decided to be real, for now.

"Hadley." She supplied.

"Happy, this is Hadley, my new doctor." Hadley gave Happy a wave, and the man to his credit, took it in stride.

"Of course, sir. Back to the tower?"

"Yes."

Hadley and Stark stepped into the black limo, a little cramped with the Iron Man suit with them, but still OK. Stark grinned at her as the car began to move. "You regretting this yet?"

Hadley grinned back, excited by this turn of events. "Not yet."

Stark leaned back, the grin still there. "You will."

**PageBreak PageBreak PageBreak PageBreak PageBreak PageBreak PageBreak PageBreak PageBreak**

1 Year earlier:

"Attention, Shield." The man Hadley knew to be Director Fury addressed the room full of agents. "As of today, Shield's forces have been officially divided between international attacks and extraterrestrial attacks." Hadley stood, unable to be seen by anyone else in the room, listening intently to Fury.

"Is this divide even, or will only a small task force be designated for extraterrestrial affairs?" One agent asked.

"Shield has always had a small task force focused on extraterrestrial attacks. We will now be widening that branch of Shield to include more members and another task force designated for first responses." Fury answered truthfully, back stiff.

"This small task force, it wouldn't happen to be the Avengers Initiative by any chance?" Another agent asked.

"The Avengers Initiative is still in its infancy, and has yet to be fully developed, but yes. It is a possibility."

"What's holding you back?" One of the few agents Hadley knew by name, Barton, asked.

"We are in the process of interviewing candidates. For such an important team, we are being very selective." Fury added, with a political air. "Meeting is adjourned, please return to your normal duties."

Everyone stood and slowly began to leave the room, heading for their assigned sectors and positions. Hadley followed suit, but not until she stole a couple documents from Fury's computers, one of which being a list for potential Avengers. She grinned when she saw Starks name there, but puzzled over one she didn't know, laughed over one she DID know, and resolved to meet the one she didn't really know; immediately.

**PageBreak PageBreak PageBreak PageBreak PageBreak PageBreak PageBreak PageBreak PageBreak**

"You're leaving?! You're not allowed to have a vacation. What if I need you while you're gone?" Stark whined as he watched Hadley carry a suitcase to the front door.

"You go to the hospital, like a normal person. Besides, she's worked for you for a year now, hardly taking a sick day. She deserves a break." Pepper, curled up on the couch next to Stark, a laptop on her knees, sent Hadley a reassuring smile. "You enjoy yourself, Had. You deserve a break."

"Thanks, Pep. I am super excited. I've never been so far from New York before." Hadley grinned at the lie. She turned to go grab her last bag, leaning against the staircase, but Stark beat her to it.

"You're too young to be traveling by yourself. You should take somebody responsible with you. I know! I'll go with you." Stark held her carry-on bag against his chest, refusing to give it to her just yet.

"One; I am plenty old enough to travel on my own, and two; if you came, it wouldn't be a vacation." Hadley grinned, trying to pull her bag from Stark's grip.

"But why do you have to go all the way to India? What's wrong with California? Or better yet, New Jersey?"

"Stark," Hadley warned, though she still wore a grin.

"Fine. Go. Have fun. Hurry Back. Take pictures of the Taj for me. Don't go anywhere near places like, Calcutta. They're disease ridden and army infested there." Stark finally released the bag into Hadley's arms, pouting.

Hadley nodded once, a fake smile on her face. Calcutta was EXACTLY where she was going. But she wasn't going to tell "Boss man" Stark THAT.

**PageBreak PageBreak PageBreak PageBreak PageBreak PageBreak PageBreak PageBreak PageBreak**

Stark was right. Calcutta was GROSS. Why would a man with such legendary anger issues decide to reside in such an angry city? Hadley had found the very doctor she'd been looking for the day she arrived, but had waited two more before deciding to approach. She wanted to make this man's acquaintance, and wanted to do so quickly, she only had three days left. Disguised as a native, she made her way to the house he was currently using as a hospital, patching up the ill. When she introduced herself to the man she was looking for, she was surprised to find that he actually LOOKED at her. Disguised as she was, she didn't look any better than the average bum in New York might, but he gave her respect. With all of this man's awards and accolades, he still had respect for even the lowliest person. In that small gesture, she had learned all she needed to know about the man called Bruce banner. She spent the next three days helping him, confirming her first impression. This man did not deal in coughs or sniffles. This man dealt with body killing diseases in the midst of a war zone, refusing payment of any kind, but working as hard as if he were being paid a small fortune to do so. Though they were unable to communicate with each other verbally, Hadley grew to know the man she'd only known for three days in a way that she'd never known anyone before. She left Calcutta confident in the fact that, if this man became an avenger, earth would be in good hands. His compassion more than made up for his unpredictability. Stark and Banner would make a good team. Stark and Thor? They would destroy each other, THEN get along. The two shield agents being considered for the Avengers initiative could mesh in any group. Yet still, the group lacked something; Leadership. Too bad the super soldier was nowhere to be found.

**PageBreak PageBreak PageBreak PageBreak PageBreak PageBreak PageBreak PageBreak PageBreak**

6 months earlier:

She found him. Of course she did, she was amazing. Don't ask how she did it though, it was quite awkward. You're talking bottom of the ocean, solid ice, magical interference. Yeah, she'd found the tesseract too. That had been over a year ago though, and had given her the crazy scheme in the first place. The soldier was a crucial part of the puzzle, though, and she didn't have much time. She led Shield to where he was, and when they finally found him, they unfroze him and placed him in a fake room, so that he would wake up semi- comfortable if he woke up. WHEN he woke up.

"Hadley! Help!" Stark, from his lab called.

Hadley groaned from where she sat in his living room, but rose nonetheless and hurried to the speaker that Stark was using.

"Yes, Boss Man?" She asked as nicely as she could.

"I hurt myself."

"I think you do it on purpose, since you know I can put you back together within a couple of minutes."

"This is true. But I pay you well."

"Yes. Yes you do."

"Come down to the lab. I need you."

"Be there in two."

Stark and Hadley over the past year and a half had become quite close. Stark protected her secret, at first because she asked, and later because it was the only way she would allow him to show her that he cared. She was one of the few people to refuse to take Stark's crap, and he respected her for that. They worked well together. She knew when he wanted company, when he NEEDED company, and when to leave him alone.

Hadley made her way down to the lab, surprised to find Stark perfectly fine. "What're you whining about, old man?" She crossed her arms over her chest.

"C'mere." He leaned over his computer, typing madly.

Hadley walked forward to stand behind him. "Hacking into Shield, I see."

"Agent's been calling. He's demanding the captain's shield be handed over. I want to know why."

"You said you hurt yourself."

"Shield put up huge firewalls against me. That hurt me." Stark didn't look up from his computer, still typing crazily.

"You also said you needed me."

"I do need you. Switch with me, my hands are getting tired."

"Seriously?" Hadley questioned his sanity, but moved to jump in anyway.

"You're almost as good at hacking as me. On the count of three. One, two, three!"

Stark stepped back and Hadley slid over, seamlessly taking over the furious typing. Within two minutes she called out; "We're in."

"Good work. Move over." Stark stepped forward and they both leaned over the keys, reading files.

"Wow. They finally found him." Stark stepped back. "Is he all there?"

"It says he's in some kind of coma, but he's all unfrozen, and should awaken soon. They hope." Hadley didn't need to read the reports to know this, though.

Stark didn't say anything. He stood frozen, as if lost in his memories. Hadley didn't have to guess to know that he was thinking about all the times his father had neglected him in order to search for the lost war hero.

"Your father cared about you. Had he to do it over again, he would've,"

"I know." Stark brushed off his moment of nostalgia as quickly as it had come on. "Still, I'm keeping the shield."

"No, you're not. You'll give it to them, after you make them work for it." Hadley walked out of the lab, not seeing Stark's answering smirk.

They both knew she was right.

**PageBreak PageBreak PageBreak PageBreak PageBreak PageBreak PageBreak PageBreak PageBreak**

6 weeks earlier:

Hadley knew him the second she saw him. He dressed in the fashion that was comfortable to him, staring at Stark Tower as if he'd never seen it before. Hadley didn't bother to disguise herself. She sat down at the small café table that he occupied. He looked surprised. She gave him a smile.

"I'm sorry. I don't know anyone in New York, and I hate sitting by myself. Do you mind?"

Ever the gentlemen, he shook his head. "Of course not."

They sat in silence, and then Hadley said, "It's just hard. Being in New York, I mean." She clarified at his confused look. "It's very different than where I grew up. Similar in a lot of ways, but mostly different."

"I can understand that." He gave a sad smile. "Things change so quickly. You leave someplace for a while, then come back, and it's like,"

"A new universe," Hadley finished, mind far away.

He looked at her strangely, and then nodded slowly. "That's…exactly right."

"well, at least we're not completely alone, right?" Hadley gave him a grin, which he returned, albeit more reserved.

"I guess not."

Hadley don't know how long they sat there, speaking quietly every so often, but mostly being silent. It was nice. Hadley needed it. She thought that maybe he needed it too. Finally she stood. "Thank you," She said sincerely, "for the company."

He smiled. "Anytime."

She grinned wryly. "Tomorrow?"

He finally gave a genuine grin. "Actually, that sounds, great. See you tomorrow?"

"Ok." She turned to go.

"Wait!" He called. She turned. "What's your name?"

"Hadley."

"I'm Steve." He introduced.

"See you tomorrow, Steve." She began walking in the direction of the tower. He watched her until she disappeared into the mass of people.

**Okay. I told you this chapter was weird. I had originally planned on expanding Banner's section to include dialogue, but this chapter got away from me. I'll go back and clean it up later. I hope this gives you a better understanding of Hadley. I'll do the same thing that I did with Thor, with the Avengers movie, so you can see how Hadley fit into the team dynamic, in a few chapters. Next few chapters, expect some Loki flashbacks and a TON of feels! I would love feedback on this chapter, specifically if it should be split up or is fine the way it is. Follows and Reviews and Favorites keep me going! I love you all!**


	7. A Desperate Plan

**A/N: I know, I know, two days late. But my other stories have been giving me grief, and this one is no exception. But here you go! Back to present time, like I told you, though next chapter is another flashback. I THINK for the next couple chapters we'll be going back and forth, but I can give you no guarantees.**

**EDITED 7/25/2013**

******Disclaimer: I**************** don't own any of the Avengers. Hadley is mine. But I give all credit for the rest of them to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, they rock!**

"So not only are you Loki's adopted kid, but you also have unlimited magic, and you've been keeping an eye out on us?" Clint summed up dryly.

"Yes." Hadley had settled onto Fury's desk, Fury himself and Agent Hill seated to the left, Thor hovering anxiously on the right side. Clint, Natasha and Tony sat in the three chairs in front of the desk, Bruce and Steve leaning against the wall behind them.

"So you lied to us." Steve crossed his arms across his chest and stared hard at her.

"No. I never lied to you. Everything we've talked about, everything I've said to you, was the truth." Hadley stared back, eyes earnest. Steve looked away. "I've lied to Tony plenty of times." Hadley grinned slightly, her grin growing when Steve looked back at her, a smile tugging at his lips.

"Whoa, wait. I think you owe me more truth than capsicle over there. And when did you ever spend time with him? He just unfroze 6 weeks ago!" Stark pouted.

Hadley shrugged. "He's my lunch buddy."

"Wait." Stark stood from his chair. "So you followed Thunder over here around when he was grounded 3 years ago, and you ran into me in the park that one time, I'm guessing that meeting wasn't by chance?"

"No. I'd been watching you since Obie. You're just so dumb. You do such stupid things. You're lucky I was there that time too." Hadley added, "You would've been out of commission and unable to deal with idiot number two, if I hadn't healed you."

"Four broken ribs, a broken leg, and a sprained elbow." Steve spoke up, eyebrow raised.

"How did you" Tony started, but Hadley interrupted.

"I told you I never lied to you." Hadley and Steve shared a grin.

"Did you secretly follow Bruce around too, or did he get out of the secret stalking?" Tony spoke up, breaking the moment Steve and Hadley had been sharing. "Oh no: your trip to India. You went to Calcutta, didn't you?" Stark scolded.

"I did." Hadley sent Tony a wide grin.

"You were the strange old lady who showed up for three days to help." Bruce spoke up from his post next to Steve, eyes wide with understanding.

"I was. I'd stolen a few files from SHIELD,"

"Hey." Fury glared at her, and she winced.

"Well, I did. Only the things I needed to know for the Avengers Initiative. You were mentioned as a potential candidate, Bruce, so I went to scope you out."

"What was your diagnosis?" Bruce asked cautiously.

Hadley locked eyes with Bruce, who looked nervous.

"You, Bruce Banner, were, and are, a good man. You are selfless, choosing to be alone rather than where you want to be, so you don't hurt anyone. You are respectful, to everyone, no matter who they are. You are filled with compassion and kindness, choosing to save rather than harm. Despite your unpredictability, you are an enormous asset to the Avengers Initiative. I am not the only one who saw that." Hadley raised a brow at Fury. "Even if they had ulterior motives, they got you here. You took the opportunity they forced on you to prove ME right."

Bruce was silent as he considered her words. Then he nodded, slowly, though he didn't say anything.

"So you can hack into SHIELD." Clint spoke up.

"I can."

"Did you ever stalk me or Nat?"

"I didn't have to. Your SHIELD profiles told me enough. Plus, I saw you at work three years ago, and Nat's been bugging Stark and I since Idiot number two."

"Ok. But you've yet to tell us about Steve. Though if I have to guess, you probably led SHIELD to where he was frozen." Clint hypothesized.

"You wouldn't be wrong."

"But that doesn't explain the "lunch buddy" crack earlier." Tony grumbled, a little irritated to find out that Hadley and Steve seemed to be friends.

"I ran into him, in a premeditated manner, about six weeks ago, at a café during my lunch break. We had a nice chat. I ran into him again the day after that, and the day after that, until it just became part of my daily schedule. Wake up, feed hung over Stark eggs and 3 gallons of coffee, patch him up from some stupid experiment, Lunch with Steve, Hack into some poor unsuspecting fools computer, steal all their data, watch a corny movie, go to sleep, do it all over again."

"So that's why you became so fond of your stupid lunch breaks." Tony pieced it all together. He pointed a finger at her. "You suck."

Hadley shrugged. "I needed a friend; and you don't count, Stark." Hadley said before he could interrupt. "You're my boss."

"I'm the best boss ever." Tony leaned back in his chair, closing his eyes. They snapped open again a few minutes later.

"So you planned this? The Chitauri attack? That was all you?"

Hadley grimaced, not liking where this line of questioning was going to go. "I did."

"Why?" Tasha asked, speaking for the first time in a while.

"If Earth could not prove that they could defend themselves, then Earth was going to be destroyed." Hadley spoke bluntly, truthfully. "If I could have gotten away with doing something much smaller, then I would have, in a heartbeat. But Earth needed to be able to showcase a defense strong enough to beat an invading army intent on total destruction. So that's what had to happen."

"But why bring Loki into it?" Thor asked, his voice a whisper.

"Loki needed to repair himself, find himself again. What happened, it broke him. I thought an act of selflessness would help him prove to himself that he was not the monster he believed himself to be. Also, it was the only way to get you here." Hadley spoke honestly, even though it hurt her to admit how broken her father had been.

"I would have come regardless. I allied myself with the humans, I said as much to the son of Coul. I would have come had it been any other foe." Thor spoke, though his usual confidence was lacking.

"Would you have? Really? With the bifrost gone and the only person with the magical capability to conjure you here lost? I think not." Hadley looked up at her Uncle who hung his head, knowing she was right.

"I did what I thought best." Hadley said, placing a hand on her Uncles arm. He patted it, thankful for the small comfort.

"I don't agree." Tasha stood, face expressionless. "You threatened the safety of thousands,"

"And if I hadn't done anything at all, I sentenced Earth and the entire solar system, including six other populated planets, to death. This way, they had a chance. It was a stupid plan, a desperate plan, but Earth has been my home for five years, and I refused to let it go without a fight. So you might not agree, but I had no other ideas, and desperate as my plan was, it worked."

Natasha stared at her, considering her words. "I don't know what I would have done in your place. Though I may not agree with you, your end result was what we all wanted. Safety. I won't thank you for what you did, but I won't kill you because if it either."

Natasha sat down, still stoic.

Hadley looked confused for a moment, but when Tony shrugged, she nodded. "I'll take it."

"How did you get Loki, er, your father, to agree?" Tony asked.

"Yes, how did my brother take your reappearance?" Thor, still standing closer to her, asked eagerly.

Hadley winced. "Well, to answer your question first, Uncle, he still does not know I am alive."

Thor took a step back. "Why ever not?"

Hadley sighed angrily. "Thor, Odin's decree that I never see my Father again is still in effect. Even though Loki knows his true heritage now, and I am no longer held by the Jotun, I would still be punished. Odin, as you well know, is not lenient when it comes to punishments. Especially not when it comes to me."

Thor frowned down at his niece, before sighing and rubbing his forehead. "There is so much I don't understand about the Allfather." He shook his head clearing it. "But answer Tony's question. How did you get Loki to agree to help?"

Hadley grinned. "You would not believe me if I told you. Let me show you." Hadley jumped down from her perch on Fury's desk, and moved to stand behind Tony, Clint, and Natasha's chairs, in between Steve and Bruce. She waved her hand, and a large screen appeared in midair, looking much like the clear advanced computer monitors that SHIELD sported all around the Helicarrier. The screen showed Loki's profile from the waist up, his hair long and smoothed back from his face, much as he wore it now. His eyes were green, muted, and sad, his shoulders pressed in and high around his ears. He wore simple Asgardian garb, breeches and a simple tunic, in dark colors, and his arms hung limply at his sides. He stared off to his right, his eyes filled with sorrows.

"This is my memory from my first conversation with Loki, a little over a year ago. I found him in Niflheim, another of the nine realms. They granted him refuge and secrecy and he helped end their war they'd been fighting for a long time."

"Niflheim? He was there the whole time?" Thor whispered, his eyes captured by the sight of his brother, not crazed looking, as he had appeared on Earth.

"Yes."

"Why did he not come home?"

"I ask him that very question. Will you watch without interrupting?"

Thor nodded his head.

"Please note, you will see me as I am; in my true appearance. To Loki I look like a certain Maria Hill." Hadley grinned slightly when Hill sent a startled glance her way. "Your body language screams authority without you even having to try. Loki listens to women better, as well. Now, please watch."

When all eyes turned to the screen, the image began moving.

**Next chapter we get to talk to Loki! I am warning you now, he may seem WAY OOC. But I wrote him as a character not past redemption. He's also a lot more caring because he raised a kid and all that. So, just warning you ahead of time. And Niflheim? I dunno where that word even CAME from, or if it works. I'll change it later, for now, it's just a filler, because I was too lazy to do research.**

**As always, reviews and follows and favorites keep the creative juices flowing, and I would LOVE to hear if anyone has any ideas on where the story is going. (I have no idea, yet.) Also, you might have noticed a little bit of camaraderie between Steve and Hadley developing. They're going to be best friends. That's all I know for now, but I would love to hear on whether or not you think they should be MORE. Hopefully the next chapter will be up on time, next Monday, or maybe a little earlier, depending. I love you all, in a purely platonic reader/author way.**


	8. Convincing Loki

**Heyoo! Chapter eight woot woot! This chapter was super easy to write, which is really surprising. Loki is WAY OOC, but I warned you ahead of time. He'll get mean, though, I promise.**

**EDITED 7/25/2013**

******Disclaimer: I**************** don't own any of the Avengers. Hadley is mine. But I give all credit for the rest of them to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, they rock!**

Loki stood on the edge of a cliff, his eyes unfocused as his mind wandered. His hands were clasped loosely in front of his body, and his legs were spread wide, helping him keep his balance as the wind raged around him. The dark, forbidding clouds gathered overhead, and the forests below him shivered in anticipation of the storm to come.

Hadley stood a few feet away, watching. He hadn't noticed her yet. She was about to speak to her father for the first time in over seven years, and she came asking a huge favor, and unable to ask it of him as herself. Instead, she was disguised, as a tall, pale woman with pulled back brown hair, serious dark eyes and an authoritative manner. She was surprised she wasn't more nervous.

"Loki, of Asgard." Hadley's voice was not her own, it was smoother, deeper, more regal. It startled her. But her father did not flinch at the sound of her voice.

"You, whomever you are, are sadly behind on the gossip. I am not, nor have I ever been, "of Asgard." Loki did not turn to face her right away, and for that, Hadley was glad. She needed a moment to pull herself together. She was actually doing this.

"I do not listen to idle gossip. And you are, without a shadow of a doubt, of Asgard."

Loki turned to face her, his eyes flashing at her impertinence. "I do believe that I have more knowledge of my origin than you, someone that I have never met before. I am not of Asgard. I never was."

"You are not? Tell me this, then, truthfully; in your earliest childhood memory, where are you? Wait, let me answer for you; you are in Asgard. Your fondest memory; where are you? If I had to say, and I know I'm right, it was Asgard. Without allowing any doubts to creep in, I want the first thought that you have after I ask you this; where is your family?"

Loki stood still, his green eyes showing raw, unfiltered emotion for a moment before going blank. He laughed grimly. "I have no family."

"That was not your first thought. But I will not press this issue now. I come with a request." Hadley stepped forward, moving closer to her father, till they were feet away from each other.

"What have you to ask the traitor of Asgard?" Loki's voice was soft, and Hadley knew she was treading thin ground.

"I see no traitor. I see a man lied to by his father, broken by tragedy, and struggling to find redemption after being convinced he is worthy of none." Loki's guarded stance softened, barely. Hadley continued.

"If I may ask, how did you find yourself here, in Niflheim?"

Loki turned to walk back toward the edge of the cliff. He was silent for so long she thought he wouldn't answer. "I fell from the bifrost, after a fight with the man who was once my brother, and the king who was once my father. In a desperate attempt to save myself, I latched onto the first coordinates I could think of, and transferred myself there, which ended up being here, Niflheim. Unfortunately, I was in much pain when I landed. The people here offered to patch me up in exchange for assistance in the war they fought. I made a better arrangement; in exchange for refuge and immunity, I promised them victory in the battles they fought, and an end to the war."

He stopped speaking for a moment. Hadley moved to stand beside him on the edge.

"Did they agree?'"

Loki smirked. "I am still here, am I not?"

"But why not go home? I mean, back to Asgard." Hadley rephrased when he shot her an angry look.

"There is nothing left for me there, or anywhere."

Hadley waited to see if he would say more, and when he didn't, turned to observe him. She would not press this issue, she could tell it was too soon. So instead, she switched topics to speak of the REAL reason she was there.

"I am the Midgardian liaison for the Realm Council." She introduced, causing Loki to turn and face her in surprise at the change of subject.

"What does Midgard or the Realm Council want with me?"

Hadley spoke the truth, not wanting to waste time. "Earth has been sentenced for execution in less than two years if they do not show an ability to defend themselves before that time."

"What does this have to do with me?" Loki asked, looking down at Hadley, not amused.

Hadley internally groaned. This was not going as she had planned. But she would not lie to her Father. "Earth needs to fight an attacker intent on taking over the planet, and win, in order to remain a realm, preferably someone who has had previous issue with them and is considered very powerful and a large threat. This person should also be secretly hoping for Earth to succeed, while not pulling any punches and acting as if Midgard is weak and spineless, an inevitable win for himself, at the same time hoping the battle will prove just the opposite."

Hadley paused, and when Loki said nothing, continued.

"I want that person to be you."

Loki stared at her his eyes wide in shock, before he let out a bark of laughter. "There are so many flaws in your plan, my dear, deluded liaison, that I cannot even begin to list them all."

"Try."

Loki sent her a searching look, then sighed at her stubborn posture and sat down, his legs dangling over the cliff. After a moment, Hadley sat down next to him. "Very well, I have no other pressing matters at the moment. I will indulge you." Loki secretly wanted to hear more about the desperate plan she'd concocted, thoroughly entertained for the first time since his daughter- he forced that train of thought to a stop, it was too painful to think about. Suffice to say, it had been a long time.

"Before I begin recounting the numerous flaws in this plan, let me just clarify; The Realm Council has decided for some unknown reason to destroy Midgard in two years unless said realm is able to prove that it can defend itself in a takeover attack?" At Hadley's nod, he continued. "You want someone powerful, with an obvious and well-known dislike for Midgard to lead the attack, all the while knowing it is nothing more than a glorified demonstration of strength and durability, and that he will not win?" Hadley nodded again, this time more slowly. "You come to me, asking to take on such a humiliating role, for no reason at all, when I do not carry any of the characteristics that you are looking for. And you want me to list all the flaws in your plan. Where shall I begin?"

"You are wrong. You are perfect for this role." Hadley spoke, quiet but determined.

"Are you blind? I am not powerful."

"You are a master of magic, Loki of nowhere. You wield unimaginable powers, and even without your magic would be an admirable foe to anyone."

"I have no army, no force behind me. I am no one's leader, no one's king." Loki added bitterly, thinking of his past.

"You could borrow one." He raised a brow at her. "There is something on Earth that a very unstable leader with a very large army has been searching for, for a very long time. If you were to promise to retrieve it for him, I am sure he would allow you to borrow his army to fight Earth."

"And what is it that this unstable leader wants?"

Hadley hesitated. "The tesseract."

"What?!" Loki stood abruptly. "The tesseract is still on Midgard?" Hadley nodded. "The tesseract should be returned to Asgard, immediately. The humans know not how to handle such power. And to think you want me to promise it to what you have so eloquently called an "unstable leader?" No."

"I never said you had to actually give it to him. You lie, Liesmith." Hadley called him one of his many nicknames.

Loki grimaced slightly at the name, but pondered over her suggestion. "So I lie to the unstable leader, secure his army as my own, temporarily, attack Earth, let myself be defeated, and am given the opportunity to ensure the tesseract be placed out of reach of both the mortals and an unknown unstable leader. Not a horrific plan, I admit, but there are still flaws."

"Continue, then."

"What about my well-known dislike with Midgard?"

"What about it?"

"I care not for Midgard. I haven't set foot on that dismal realm in centuries."

"You sent a destroyer there three years ago."

"Merely to annoy my once-brother, I have never had anything against the planet itself."

"Perhaps not, but it would not be such a stretch to believe, in light of your previous actions."

Loki sent her an unreadable glance. "I suppose not." Hadley stood up when he showed no inclination to sit back down.

"What else?"

"You said it yourself; I am a powerful adversary, and with an army on my side, I am quite unbeatable. Do you believe that Midgard will be able win such an attack?"

Hadley thought for a moment, then nodded. "I do. Midgard has recently begun bringing together a group of remarkable individuals with the sole intent of having a first response team."

"Mortals are weak." Loki scoffed.

"Mortals are durable. They don't give up, or give in, easily. They band together to protect what's there's, and yes, they are not the strongest physically, but I believe in this group. I think they can win."

"What does this group of "remarkable individuals" have to offer?" Loki asked, genuinely interested, but trying to hide it.

"They have a man who has created a suit of armor that can fly and carries various assorted weapons, including repulsors, and the suit made of metal gives him increased strength, and durability, as well as many sensors and radars. They call him Iron Man. There is also a man, who due to severe gamma radiation turns into a large green beast when provoked. In that form he has enhanced super human senses, and is nearly unstoppable. They call him the Hulk. Then there is a man who was altered using a serum created loosely off the tesseract,"

"So his senses have all been enhanced further than the average humans and his speed, endurance, and physical capabilities would be beyond par." Loki inferred.

"Correct. There are others as well, two master assassins, one an archer, the other with exceptional hand to hand combat skills." Hadley added.

"You want to pit this group of individuals, talented as they may be, against an army and myself? And you expect them to win?" Loki asked incredulously.

"There is another, who I think will more than even the odds." Hadley hesitated. "Thor."

"Thor?!" Loki's eyes widened in disbelief. "You really think that oaf would show up to help fight for a realm he only spent three days on?"

"Maybe not. But I know he would if it was you leading the attack."

"So he would come simply to fight me."

"No. I think he would come to try and talk sense into you. Then, if you could not be reasoned with, he would try and stop you."

Loki paced away from her, absorbing her words.

"Your plan is not as ill-thought out as I had first thought." He finally admitted, walking back to her.

Hadley held her breath. "Does that mean you will do it?"

"No." His response was immediate, and Hadley internally crumbled.

"Why not?"

"I will not be humiliated, not publicly, and most certainly not with my oaf of a not-brother there to see my destruction, to clean up My mess, to try and save me, as if I were some damsel in distress, yet AGAIN." Loki hissed, glaring angrily at Hadley. Hadley knew her father though. He wasn't just angry. He was scared, of what, she didn't know. "I allowed your interruption into my solitude, I listened to your inane ramblings, but I will not do as you have asked. Not now, not ever. Now be gone from me, and do not bother me again. If I see you again, you will regret it."

He stormed away, his steps heavy and deliberate. When he was almost out of ear shot, Hadley let her trump card show.

"You would let your brother die?"

Loki stopped, but didn't turn around.

"If Midgard does not prove its worth, if the two years pass without the proof of strength that the realm council is seeking, then Midgard will fall. While Thor might not show up for a small attack, or a civil war, he will come in the face of certain destruction. He made an oath, and Thor, though often brutish and self-centered, would never go back on an oath. He would come, but against the Realm Council, he would not stand. You know he wouldn't."

"Why would I care for that excuse of a man? I tried to kill him, twice. Why would I rush to his rescue now?" Loki still did not turn, but at least she knew he was listening.

"You can spend the next ten centuries trying to convince yourself that you hate Thor. You never will though. You never did."

"And how would you know that?" Loki asked his voice quietly bitter.

"As I have said before, you are powerful. If you had wanted your brother dead, he would be dead. Since he is not, I believe that you care. I believe you always will."

"Sentiment." Loki scoffed.

Hadley was silent for a moment, then nodded. "Yes. You think it weak, you belittle it, but only because you feel it. Because you know that is your weakness. In reality, Sentiment is a strength." Loki laughed, not believing her, so Hadley changed tactics.

"If you did this, if you saved Midgard, you would be saving your brother as well." Loki finally turned to face her, his eyes still bleak, but his head cocked, listening. He was reconsidering.

"You could ensure the Tesseract made its way back to safer pastures, save your brother, finally having something to hold over HIS head, and perhaps lose the title of traitor in the process. You would not be getting nothing out of this, Loki of nowhere. You could even, perhaps, when it is all over, go home.

Loki stalked forward till he was but inches from her face.

"No. I no longer have a home. If I were to do this, I would want no one to know of my ulterior motives."

"You mean, you want people to think you the bad guy?" Hadley rephrased.

"Yes. I do not want my once-brother in my debt, I want him out of my life. If I do this, perhaps he will finally see that I am beyond redemption."

"Your true motives in doing such a thing would prove the exact opposite." Hadley pointed out.

"They will not know that, though. You will not tell them."

Hadley nodded, giving in to his bleak perspective. "So will you do it?"

Loki stepped away from her. "I will consider it."

Hadley shrugged, taking what she could get. "Then take this." She handed a piece of paper to Loki, and he took it, looking down at it before grinning.

"Enchanted paper."

"Yes. Simply write down your answer, fold it up, and throw it in the air. It will automatically return to me." Hadley explained. "But we have less than a year left. So try not to take too much time."

Loki merely shrugged. "I do what I want."

Hadley, despite herself, grinned. "So I've heard." She disappeared, leaving Loki alone on the cliff, weighing his options.

She received his answer two weeks later, in the form of two words, written in his elegant script on the enchanted paper that she'd had given him.

_I'm In._

**End of chapter eight! I know, Loki gave in too easily, but he's desperate to live again, and Hadley's giving him that. Plus, I have a hard time writing angsty Loki. Don't worry, though. Angsty Loki is coming! Chapter nine is the avengers reactions to Loki's conversation with Hadley, and Clint will be super conflicted. Chapter ten and eleven are more Loki flashbacks, but chapter eleven we will officially be ALL present time!**

**As always, reviews and follows and favorites keep the creative juices flowing, and I would LOVE to hear if anyone has any ideas on where the story is going. (I have no idea, yet.) Hopefully the next chapter will be up on time, next Monday, or maybe a little earlier, depending. I love you all, in a purely platonic reader/author way.**


	9. Preparing Midgard

**A/N: OH MY GOODNESS I AM SOOO SORRY! MY LIFE GOT INSANE. THAT'S NOT AN EXCUSE I KNOW...I DIDN'T WANT TO BE SUPER SPORADIC SO I WAITED UNTIL I COULD UPDATE REGULARLY AGAIN. WHICH I CAN NOW! WHOO.**

**So. Chapter nine is here! Yaay! We've got one more flashback next chapter then it's all realtime! Yee Haw!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Avengers. Hadley belongs to me, but I give all credit for the rest of them to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, they rock! **

"I don't believe it."

"That can't be real." Stark agreed.

"You're lying." Clint pointed an angry finger at Hadley.

"It really doesn't make any sense." Hill added.

"I. Don't. Believe. It." Thor looked dazed, as if he'd just seen a ghost.

"I do." The Avengers paused mid argument to swivel to face Fury.

"You do?" Natasha cocked her head, her face impassive. She'd spoken first against what they'd just seen.

Fury stood from his seat, and put his hands behind his back. "Yes."

"How?!" Tony, standing now, gaped at him, his mouth hanging slightly open.

"The damage this guy has done doesn't even come close to the damage he could've caused." Fury answered simply.

"He DID seem like he wasn't trying very hard." Bruce ventured, standing as well, joining the others who had all stood in anger the second the screen they'd been watching disappeared.

"He looks terrible, too." Steve looked at one of the many monitors that covered Fury's wall, the one that showed Loki's temporary cell.

He sat in the corner of the empty room, back against the wall, legs crossed, hands folded primly in his lap.

His head rested against the wall, and his eyes were closed. His pale skin highlighted the blue bruises underneath his eyes. The scratches on his face had crusted over with blood, the one across his nose the deepest. He opened his eyes as if he could feel their stares, and they all saw the fatigue in them before he erased it do grin at them sardonically.

"That's just because the Big Guy just got done beating him down." Tony argued reasonably.

"He looked like that coming out of the first portal, though." Clint added. "All damp and sweaty."

"Ew." Hadley grimaced.

"What was up with that, anyway? Him being all damp and nasty right out of the portal? Is it hot in wherever the hell the Chitauri live?" Clint looked at Hadley.

"The application process is very…Arduous." Hadley explained carefully.

"Application process?" Steve furrowed his brow. "As in he had to apply to help the Chitauri attempt to decimate earth?"

"The Chitauri would not trust easily." Thor mused. "He would have to prove his mettle, somehow."

Hadley looked away, her expression grim. "The Chitauri are very physical creatures."

"What exactly does that mean?" Tony snapped.

"They would have demanded a physical test, of sorts." Thor could see where Hadley was going, and didn't like the direction at all.

"He refused to harm anyone." Hadley interjected. "So they used Plan B."

"Which is?" Fury asked, lost.

Hadley and Thor were silent, unable to name the action that the Chitauri must have taken. Coming to the right conclusion, Bruce spoke slowly.

"They would have harmed him."

"Torture?" Tony asked disbelievingly. "Why would they torture the guy offering to help them get what they've been searching for, for years?"

"To test his loyalties. TO show him what he would have to look forward to if he betrayed them or lost." Natasha spoke with certainty, speaking from experience.

"He went through torture to come here, knowing he would be beaten and attacked, trying to lose, even though he knew that in doing so he would end up in trouble with Thanos." Tony summed up. "That makes no sense."

"Loki doesn't seem like the self-sacrificing type. I can get having nothing to lose," Tony added. "But going through all that for his brother? He doesn't like you THAT much Thor."

"Unfortunately, you are right." Thor agreed. "His motives were different than ours. But what were they?"

"He wanted to die." Bruce spoke so matter of fact; it stunned the rest of the group into momentary silence.

"Die?"

"He's practically immortal. The guy probably wanted to die the second he fell off the bifrost. When he didn't he ended up only living half a life. Living half a life; it's not worth it, I know. So when some random person asks him to enter into a dangerous situation, he accepts. Not out of the kindness of his heart, but because he'll be attacked by very powerful beings, his brother included. He entered into a risky situation, not afraid that his life might be forfeit, but hoping for it. How does an immortal being die?" Bruce asked.

"At the hands of another immortal." Clint answered, looking at Thor.

"He hoped that this final betrayal would lead you to kill him." Bruce further explained, looking sympathetically at Thor, who stood in shock. "If you couldn't, he knew then at least Thanos would.

"The Chitauri." Thor said suddenly, turning to Hadley, who sat in a chair, "What did they,"

"Thor." Hadley interrupted him, knowing what he was asking. "I can't…" Her voice broke.

"Then show me."

"Thor, you shouldn't have to see that,"

"He shouldn't have had to go through it!" Thor roared so loud that Loki heard it from his cell, sitting up and looking around, confused.

"Fine." Hadley agreed tightly. "Don't ask me to watch it with you. Once was too much."

Hadley pulled up the screen that she'd used before. "Touch it to start it." She turned and walked out.

"Where are you going?" Steve called out.

"I have a patient to check on." She yelled back, not stopping.

None of the others in the room moved as Thor touched the screen and the scene began to move.

**End of chapter nine! Whoo. Bruce is very smart, isn't he? He understands Loki in a way that no one else will be able to. That'll be important later. I like Tony/Bruce friendships, but I think there is something in developing a Bruce/Loki friendship. Good thing we still have a few more chapters to go! Next chapter is flashback, and it's...not very nice. It's super short, though, because I can't write hurting Loki very well. I am very vague too, I'll warn ya. I'll probably have to rewrite it later, but for now...on to the next chapter!**

**I love you all, in a platonic, reader/writer way!**


	10. A Slight Glitch

**A/N: CHAPTER TEN IS HERE! I am purposely vague, I apologize in advance, but I can't write hurting Loki. It hurts ME. So this is what you get. I upped the rating, just to be safe, though I only hint at violence and describe the after effects. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Avengers. Hadley belongs to me, but I give all credit for the rest of them to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, they rock!**

Loki was…not well.

The darkened cell that Loki called home for most of his time with the Chitauri was dank, and damp, a place not fit for a rat, let alone a prince. He lay on the floor, propped up against the wall, wearing loose breeches and nothing else. The small candle flickered, casting the dark prince in shadow. Hadley could tell simply by his sharp intakes of breath though, that he wasn't well.

She walked forward, not allowing the bars of Loki's prison to stop her, walking through them as if they were air rather than solid and metal.

"Loki." She whispered softly, shock evident in her tone.

Loki sat upright quickly, his groan quiet at the fast movement he'd forced on his muscles.

"Ah, if it isn't the Midgardian Representative, coming to check on her pawn." He drawled, his voice quiet, pained.

"You are not a pawn Loki. What are they doing to you?"

Loki chuckled softly, still in shadow. "Testing my loyalties."

"Here? In a damp prison cell reserved for trash?" Hadley whispered, not sure why she was speaking so softly, but unable to speak louder.

"Yes. It is no matter, if this floor is stained with blood."

"Blood? But," Hadley moved to the candle, unable to handle the darkness any longer.

"No," Loki protested weakly, but it was too late.

Hadley waved her hand over the candle, and light filled the dank cell. Loki hissed, turning his head away from the brightness, and Hadley gasped, wishing she could just let the darkness return.

But she couldn't. She had to know.

Loki was beyond not well. Loki was thin, ribs showing through the dark purple bruises that covered his stomach and back. Long scratches littered his arm, and dried blood and more stuck in his matted, dirty locks. The circles under his eyes were huge, dark purple pools that matched his bruises, and one side of his face was covered in blood. When Loki had turned away, Hadley glimpsed a burn mark on his shoulder, though she couldn't make out what it was before he was turning back to glare defiantly at her, not moving, letting her look her fill.

They'd beaten him. He hadn't been fed, they'd cut him...branded him. They'd hurt him.

The horror of what she was looking at filled her face, and she stepped away until her back hit the wall of his cell.

Loki grinned sardonically. "This wasn't part of your perfect little plan, was it?"

Hadley could only shake her head in shock. "Why?"

" The Chitauri are not a peaceful people. They thrive on chaos. When a pawn throws themselves into their laps, a pawn that they can torture, and will then heal itself, only so they can begin the torture anew; well, who wouldn't take advantage." Loki chuckled bitterly. "I am proving my endurance, as well as my loyalty. If I can survive this, for them, then they will allow me the use of their army. Don't worry, little Midgardian. You will have your war."

"That doesn't matter anymore." Hadley hissed furiously. She moved to grab his arm and he flinched.

"What are you doing?" He glared.

"Getting you out of here. This isn't worth it. You are not worth it." She moved to grab him again and he growled at her.

"You would trade the longevity and life of Midgard for a traitor." Loki mocked disbelievingly.

"No. I would do it for you, though, in a heartbeat."

"What of Midgard?" Loki asked, voice low and confused.

"I'll think of something else. Something other than…this."

"No."

"No?!"

"I intend to see this through, with or without you. Traitor I may be, but I never give up."

Hadley wanted to scream. She wanted to argue, and rage, and reveal herself, anything to get him away and make him better. She knew he would refuse it all; and if she forced him to leave, he would only return. She also knew that she had no other ideas to save Midgard. So she gave in.

She gave in, vowing to ensure that the Chitauri's leader faced a fate worse than death, a fate that would leave the unknown face longing for something as sweet as pain.

"You must survive this, do you understand? You must live! Do not give in. If you do, I will travel to the land of the dead, bring you back, and kill you with my bare hands. Do you understand?" Hadley whispered to him fiercely, eyeing him intently, marching forward till she was within inches from him.

"Survive?" Loki sent her the best smirk he could muster up. "I intend to, dear. I must, in order to see the dumbfounded look on my imbecile brothers face when I return from the dead." Loki joked softly.

Hadley breathed in once, then nodded. She touched her fingers to his forehead, allowing for her magic to move to him, knowing the risks involved; the possibility that he might recognize her magical signature, but past the point of caring, she did it anyway.

"What was that?" Loki demanded once she'd finished, as he was to weak to try and push her off.

"I took away ninety percent of your pain. The marks and bruises will still show, for your captors benefit, but you will only feel ten percent of the pain, so you can scream when appropriate."

Loki opened his mouth to argue, until he realized how much better he felt. He nodded. "I accept." He answered regally, as if he had been given other options as well.

"Thank you." She whispered, wishing she could take away all his pain and whisk him away from this awful place, but knowing she'd already pushed him as far as he would go.

Loki turned away, tired from the torture he'd been forced to endure, though not in as much pain as before.

"How close are you to gaining control of the army?" Hadley asked before she could leave, knowing he would want to rest.

"Close. No more than three months, I believe, and you will have the war you need. Will your team be prepared?"

Hadley nodded. "yes. This is the last time you will see me until the war. I can no longer intervene. Be safe. See you on the other side."

Loki nodded, and the light in the room flickered till all that was left was the meager light that the candle could give off.

Hadley walked away, only letting the tears fall once she was far enough away.

**Wow. Chapter Ten was HARD. I don't know how to write torture, or even hinted at torture. sorry! I'll have to edit it soon. But next chapter will be more Avengers reactions, one more flashback, I believe and then ALL present time! Yee! **

**I love you all, in that platonic reader/writer way that I do!**


End file.
